January 16

hooray! it was my birthday this week. birthdays are the best. it's the one day a year where it's okay to do whatever you want! within reason of course. i ate sausage for breakfast, watched two episodes of my current favorite show (still Ballykissangel, even after season 3). i had to go to work of course, but i slacked off in protest. also justin really came through with the gifts and quality time. aww.

but the best part of the day was, as usual, making my own birthday cake. an irish cream beauty, also known as my 'sin cake.' this only makes sense to lds readers, but yes there is coffee and bailey's in my cake. but as david o mckay says, if you can eat it with a spoon, it's not a sin! at least, someone told me he said that...

the culprit.


not very cleanly cut after all


they sang me a song for my birthday


here's the better pictures...yay justin's camera! i think they'll get even better once i figure out some better backgrounds. need to get me some tablecloths...


mm smoothe


i also made baba ghanoush this week. it turned out YUMMY! and there is some olive oil in this but zero butter ;)




and some pita bread to go with it all.

Bailey's Irish Cream Cake

2 c flour
1 3/4 c sugar
3/4 c cocoa (i used the good, really black stuff)
1/2 t salt
1 T soda
1 egg
2/3 c oil
3/4 c buttermilk
1/4 c Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
1 c hot strong coffee

Frosting:
2 c heavy cream
1/4 - 1/2 c powdered sugar
4 T Bailey's Irish Cream, or more to taste

Sift dry ingredients together. Beat egg, oil, buttermilk, liqueur, and coffee together. Add dry ingredients. Beat together for about 3 minutes. Pour into 2 greased and floured (or cocoa'ed) springform pans. Bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes or until done. Cool.

Beat frosting ingredients together until stiff. Turn cakes out onto a plate and frost with whipped cream mixture. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings if desired. Refrigerate.

Baba Ghanoush

2 large eggplants
1/4 c tahini (i was out so i used natural peanut butter...slightly different taste but still good!)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
1 pinch ground cumin
salt, to taste
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 c brine-cured black olives, such as kalamata

1. Halve eggplants, place face down on baking sheet. Prick several times with fork. Broil 8 - 12 minutes, keeping a careful watch for burning. Skin should blister without carbonizing.
2. Turn heat down to 375 and transfer eggplants to a lower shelf in the oven. Bake until very soft, 12 - 18 minutes.
3. Remove from oven, let cool slightly. Scoop out flesh into blender.
4. Add 1/4 c tahini (or peanut butter), garlic, 1/4 c lemon juice, and cumin. Blend until smoothe.
5. Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini or lemon juice if desired.
6. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.
7. Drizzle the olive oil into the well and around the top and sprinkle with parsley.
8. Decorate with olives (i didn't do this because i didn't have them, but i've made it with them before and they're great!)
9. Serve with pita bread, crackers, and/or toast.

ps last bit of good news: i finally got myself a kitchen scale and some ramekins with my birthday money! (thanks mom!) there will be macarons soon...